It’s really true: anything can happen in the Champions League. Except that the repetition of a draw had never been seen in the history of the competition and this would already be enough to make what happened today in Nyon unique, but among the clubs involved there is little desire to joke. The incredible mistake of UEFA, which put Manchester United in the opponents of Villarreal (a crossing prohibited because they are opponents in the group) for “a software error”, prompted the European federation to redo everything two hours after the facts. There was no shortage of protests, both official and social. Real Madrid, first paired with Benfica and now finished against Messi-Neymar-Mbappé’s PSG, had already announced a complaint and appeal immediately after the sensational mess. In the middle there is also the battle for the Super League, but the fool of UEFA remains. As well as the inevitable controversy over a destiny changed in the course of construction.
The mistake that embarrassed UEFA, that’s why the Champions League round of 16 draw was repeated
In the first draw Juve and Inter had smiled at the matches with Sporting Lisbon and Ajax, as they had avoided the most dangerous opponents, while on the second round only the Bianconeri can maintain the same positive spirit. Allegri’s team, in fact, avoids PSG and Atletico Madrid, but between February and March they find the Villarreal that has just eliminated Atalanta. The Nerazzurri, on the other hand, will face Liverpool and it was difficult to find anything worse: the first leg will be played at San Siro, given that Inzaghi’s team was not among the seeded, while the return will be at Anfield.
There are no official precedents between Juve and Villarreal, famous for having a submarine as a symbol. Emery’s team qualified for the Champions League thanks to the conquest of the Europa League and Juve seemed destined for Spain, given that Atletico Madrid and Villarreal had the same chance of being caught (18.57%), while just below there was the Psg nightmare (17.82%), followed by Salzburg (15.21%) and then by the two in Lisbon (Benfica and Sporting are both at 14.91%). PSG was avoided at the last minute, as in the first draw, but the Bianconeri should not underestimate a team that knows how to exalt itself in the cups and has already eliminated many Italians in its history. Inter, on the other hand, faced Liverpool 4 times in European competitions, losing 3 times and getting only one victory, but that in 1965 was epic with the 3-0 at San Siro that overturned the knockout in the first leg semi-final and paved the way the road to the first international success with the conquest of the Champions Cup against Benfica.
The picture of the knockout stages of the Champions League
Salzburg-Bayern Munich
Sporting Lisbona-Manchester City
Benfica-Ajax
Chelsea-Lille
Atletico Madrid-Manchester United
Villarreal-Juventus
Real Madrid-Paris Saint Germain
Inter-Liverpool
Uphill Europa League playoffs: for Napoli there is Barcelona, Atalanta against Olympiacos, Lazio find Porto
These are the intersections foreseen by the first draw: Inter’s commitment, which in the first round had drawn Ajax in the first round and will instead challenge Liverpool, is much more difficult. Juventus move from Sporting Lisbon to Villarreal.
Benfica-Real Madrid
Villarreal-Manchester City
Atletico Madrid-Bayern Monaco
Salzburg-Liverpool
Inter-Ajax
Sporting Lisbona-Juventus
Chelsea-Lille
PSG-Manchester United